'Stop Playing Games': Ill. Judge Floats T-Shirt TM Contempt

By Lauraann Wood

The founder of an apparel company that lost a "This We'll Defend" slogan infringement trial and appeal has one week to comply with the permanent injunction requiring him to relinquish property bearing the trademark or be held in contempt of court, an Illinois federal judge said Thursday.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

States Ask DC Circ. To Ban Google From Paying To Be Default

By Nadia Dreid

If the D.C. Circuit doesn't ban Google from paying to be the default search engine on people's cellphones after it was found to have illegally maintained a monopoly, state enforcers say the tech titan will remain "free to buy tomorrow's defaults with the fruits of yesterday's anticompetitive conduct."

Brief attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Live Nation Details Woodward, Trump Role In DOJ Deal

By Bryan Koenig

Live Nation Entertainment Inc. has offered new details on the involvement of the White House and senior Justice Department officials in its controversial midtrial settlement Democrats have cast as corrupt, confirming that Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr.'s office was also involved.

3 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Fed. Circ. Won't Overrule Sending IP Cases From Va. To Ill.

By Adam Lidgett

The Federal Circuit on Thursday said it won't send back to Virginia federal court a trio of suits accusing fleet vehicle telematics company Xirgo Technologies of infringing more than a dozen patents, keeping the cases in Illinois federal court.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

'Substantially Impaired' Main Topic Of Medicaid Rule Hearing

By Julie Manganis

A Massachusetts federal judge pressed the Trump administration Thursday on its argument that Congress intentionally left it with the task of defining who is considered too medically frail to comply with Medicaid work requirements set to take effect in January.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Syngenta's Pesticide Rebates To Face FTC Antitrust Trial

By Lauren Berg

Syngenta cannot escape the Federal Trade Commission's allegations it uses a loyalty rebate program to block competition from rival generic pesticides, a North Carolina federal judge ruled Thursday, saying it will be up to a jury to iron out whether the rebates are unlawful exclusive dealing.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Conn., Cook County, Ill., Defend AR-15 Bans At Supreme Court

By Mike Curley

Officials in Cook County, Illinois, and Connecticut are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold laws banning semiautomatic AR-15-style rifles, arguing that their laws are consistent with historical analogs restricting "unusually dangerous" weapons.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Feds Say States Can't Use 2025 Order To Block Grant Terms

By Tom Lotshaw

Twenty states asking a Rhode Island federal judge to enforce an injunction that blocked federal grant conditions requiring them to cooperate with immigration enforcement activities are improperly trying to expand its scope to rope in new conditions, the Trump administration said.

Response attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Series

Being In The Peace Corps Made Me A Better Lawyer

When I served in the Peace Corps, the people of the West African village where I was stationed helped me acclimate to my new surroundings and enabled me to develop problem-solving, teamwork and empathy skills that have bolstered my legal practice far beyond the ability to offer technical advice, says Brian Bewley at McGuireWoods.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

New Weil-Willkie Domains Add To Merger Speculation

By Marialuisa Taddia

Two domain names that combine the names of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP have been registered, fueling speculation about a potential merger between the two prominent Wall Street law firms.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Bonus Spotlight

Hueston Hennigan Bumps Clerkship Bonus To $205K

By Lynn LaRowe

Trial boutique Hueston Hennigan is offering a $205,000 bonus to lawyers who have completed one or more federal clerkships, the firm confirmed Thursday.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

'Grave Errors': 5th Circ. Boots Judge After AI 'Botch Job'

By Jeff Overley

A Mississippi federal judge's careless use of artificial intelligence tools led to "sloppy edicts" riddled with "falsehoods and fabrications," the Fifth Circuit held in a Thursday night opinion removing the judge from litigation over an anti-DEI law in the Magnolia State because of his "extraordinarily grave errors."

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Texas Judge Probe Shows Lack Of Mental Impairment Process

By Jack Karp

Fifth Circuit officials have done a reasonable job of handling a rare situation involving a Texas federal judge who appears to be undergoing a mental health crisis, but the episode highlights that a more standardized way of dealing with federal judges experiencing mental impairment needs to be established, experts and scholars say.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Jackson Walker Hits Back At Fee Clawback Sanction Move

By Vince Sullivan

Law firm Jackson Walker said Wednesday that it should not be sanctioned for failing to bring to a Texas federal judge's attention additional cases involving an undisclosed romantic relationship between a bankruptcy judge and one of its attorneys because the U.S. Trustee already investigated those cases and didn't take action.

Response attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

GOP Reps. Seek Probe Of Fla. Judge's Sanctions Order

By Courtney Bublé

Top Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee asked the Judicial Conference Thursday to investigate a Florida federal judge for potential misconduct with an order she issued in the case involving the leak of President Donald Trump's tax returns.

Letter attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

JPMorgan, Ex-Frank Execs Clash Over $2.1M In Legal Fees

By Jarek Rutz

JPMorgan Chase & Co. faced renewed demands in the Delaware Chancery Court on Thursday to pay about $2.1 million in withheld legal fees for convicted Frank founder Charlie Javice and former executive Olivier Amar, as their lawyers accused the bank of using repeated billing objections to delay funding for their criminal defenses.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Roundup MDL Atty Fund 'Cries Out' For Review, 9th Circ. Told

By Dorothy Atkins

Plaintiffs' firms urged the Ninth Circuit to reverse a ruling Thursday requiring them to contribute 8% of their recovery fees to a common benefit fund in multidistrict litigation over Monsanto's Roundup weed killer, arguing the judge ignored a special master's recommendation and the issue "cries out for some appellate supervision."

Read full article » | Save to favorites »